Thursday, August 10, 2006

The Federalist Papers Podcast

I just came across an extraordinary podcast, to which I urge all of you to listen. It's a podcast of The Federalist Papers. Here's the introduction, from their site:

The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 essays written between October 1787 and May 1788. They were composed by three different authors: Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison, all under the single anonymous pseudonym 'Publius'. Initially published in three New York newspapers, they subsequently appeared in newspapers across the fledgling nation. In these papers, Publius argues for implementation of the United States Constitution, which had been sent to the states for ratification in the Fall of 1787. Today, these essays serve as a primary source for the interpretation of the Constitution. In our time, as we engage in efforts to spread democracy and liberty, and to maintain them here at home, it is worthwhile to remember the original impulses and philosophies that produced the United States government.

The project started in May, with 2 episodes per week, each episode dedicated to a specific paper. The first 17 papers have been published, as of today (August 9, 2006). Just as an example, Listen to Federalist 1.